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Attorney General Kroger wont seek second term

Non-life threatening illness scuttles campaign plan

Oregon Attorney General John Kroger announced Tuesday he will not run for re-election because of a non-life threatening but serious medical issue.

Kroger, a Democrat, was elected attorney general in 2008.

The decision is completely unexpected. Kroger has been actively raising campaign funds and currently has over $322,000 in his campaign account.

The Portland Tribune was unable to reach Kroger. Campaign manager Ben Unger had no additional comments to make and did not know what would happen to the contributions.

No other major candidate has announced for the race so far. Former interim Oregon U.S. Attorney Dwight Holton is thought to be considering it.

Kroger released the following statement Tuesday morning:

'I am announcing today that I will not seek a second term as Oregon's Attorney General.

I was recently diagnosed and am under the care of a physician at OHSU for a significant but not life threatening medical condition. It will not interfere with my legal work or prevent me from completing my term, but I will need to reduce my hours, travel less, and be careful about my health. After consulting with my doctor over the last two days, I have decided against campaigning again for statewide office.

When I ran for office in 2008, my life was different. I was a bachelor. Now I have a wife and a family. Though I believe very much in public service, my wife and I agree that my health and our family have to come first.

I ask that the community and the media respect my medical privacy and grant me the opportunity to address my health in private.

It has been a great honor to serve as Oregon's Attorney General these past three years. I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish. I look forward to completing my term and passing the office to a good successor in January 2013. I will always be grateful to the citizens of Oregon for their support.'